close-uplens filter or macro extension tube

hi, have km with da 18-55mm and da 55-300mm lens kit,
i want to get some better close up pictures, i don't know which of above would be better option to get,
thanks...
regards

So called 'close-up' filters are usually of poor quality. A decent set of extension tubes would be my recommendation. If you can find a set that has all electrical contacts and preserves AF, though it's not really necessary for macro work, then go for those.

With extension tubes you get no loss of image quality like you would with most, but not all, close-up filters.

---

Peter Smith

Body: K10D + BG, K20D(2) + BG's
Prime: FA31/43/77 Ltd, FA50 Macro, DA*55, D-FA100mm Macro, Sigma EX180 Macro, DA*300.
Zoom: DA12-24, DA*16-50, DA*50-135, DA*60-250.
Flash: AF240FT(2), AF500FTZ, AF360FGZ(2), AF540FGZ(2), AF160FC Ringflash (deceased )
Software: Adobe Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, Photomatix Pro, Noise Ninja, iWatermark, Picasa 3.
Backpack Bag: Tamrac Expedition 7x, Lowepro Fastpack 350, Lowepro Vertex 100AW, Lowepro Slingshot 200AW
Shoulder Bag: Tamrac 613 Super Pro 13, Lowepro Stealth Reporter 500AW, Lowepro S&F Reporter 300AW

Hi jamal i've just bought some macro tubes from ebay they seem good quality to me.Though they don't have the electrial contacts but they were only £9.99

thanks for your comment,
yes ebay where i saw the tube, is that this one you recoment with electrical contacts if not would you mind to send me the link for it please.

link

But you have to be careful as some extension tubes have no aperture control which can make focussing very difficult and will give you no control over DOF.

---

MZ-7 ● 50mm 1.4 My Photobucket

Pentax made a couple of good close-up lenses (filters if you like!) and others from major manufacturers like Hoya, B+W, Heliopan, etc. should also be fine.

The humble close up lens can be useful as it is (relatively) cheap, needs no change in exposure, retains all the auto functions and, because we generally stop down to f11 or smaller for closeups, offers very good results.

It can be a good place to start to see if we like that sort of photography and then later maybe move onto a proper macro lens.

---

Best regards,

John Riley

Yeah jamal i bought those.Hong Kong to uk in about 5 days not bad

A cheap 50mm manual and extension tubes from Hong Kong or whatever will give you a "dedicated" macro for little money.

---

Regards, Joel. Travel- and photoblog on http://www.joelschumann.com/blog

thank to everyone for your help.
really appricate your helps, it does help a lot.
i think i ll get a cheep extension tube to start with, than save up for a proper macro lens,
great regards...

Remember that tubes without electrical contacts will not allow your current lenses to be stopped down. You'll need a lens with an aperture ring! Good excuse to buy a 50mm MF lens...

---

'I tell you, we are on earth to fart around and don't let anybody tell you different' - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The alternative is to use a 2x converter, which will turn a 50mm f2 lens, for example, into a 100mm f4 macro lens. Not the same quality, but at least you would see if that lens spec met your needs.

The refinement of this is to use a 2x Macro converter, which is specifically designed for the purpose.

---

Best regards,

John Riley

sory if im being anoying, i dont have any idea about macro lenses,
what about Tamron 70-300mm macro.
how good will this be compering with the other macro lenses?

As far as my understanding goes that isn't a true Macro lens.
A true macro lens have a magnification of 1:1 or greater, I believe that most zoom "macro" goes to 1:2

Macro lenses are also (mostly?) prime lenses and special designed for macro, the Tamron 70-300mm macro isn't designed specially for macro but to do well as a tele-zoom lens and has the macro as extra feature to say it simple.

With macro the DOF is important and it is also very flat with macro lenses, with most other lenses certainly zooms the DOF can be curved.

Some normal lenses also don't preform well with close focus as with normal focus since they aren't designed for that.
Macro lenses of course will preform well with close focus but might preform not as good with normal focus.

sorry that it isn't written very well, hopefully it's readable

---

Stefan

K10D
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ

thanks anvy its very clear,
and thans ever one for help.

Glad it's readable Jamal

Going a bit off topic but when can you put the definition MACRO behind a lens name?
Are there any rules or standards for that?

---

Stefan

K10D
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ